One of the finest porcelain collections in Chinese history will be put up for auction with a total estimated price of more than 20 million pounds ($28.8 million), as reported by China Daily.
According to the Guardian, a news publication based in the United Kingdom, Sotheby's is auctioning off around 100 pieces acquired by the late British collector Roger Pilkington during the 1950s and '60s.
Nicolas Chow, deputy chairperson of Sotheby's Asia, believes that this is a collection that people are bound to remember for the next several decades. He said that it is rare to see such collections available on the market.
Roger Pilkington is known for being one of the most active collectors during his time. He has continued a British tradition that started in the 1920s and '30s.
The collection on sale spans around a thousand years of Chinese porcelain production from the Tang (A.D. 618-907), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties.
Majority of the collection is made up of early and late Ming Dynasty porcelain pieces. According to Chow, these are extremely rare and difficult to find and acquire in today's market.
Two highlight pieces from those that will be auctioned are a rare Chenghua blue and white "palace" bowl from the Ming Dynasty, estimated at 4 to 6 million pounds ($5.8 to 8.6 million), and an unusual blue and white holy water vessel, estimated at 3 to 4 million pounds ($4.3 to 5.8 million).
The vessel from the Yongle period (1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty was inspired by those from Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of only two companion pieces, with the other one housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing, according to Sotheby's.
The auction is set to be held in Hong Kong in early April. The collections are available for public viewing at Sotheby's London on Jan. 17 and 18.